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A few weeks ago at Harvey Mudd’s annual commencement, we broke a record: we graduated more female engineers than male. In the class of 2014, 56% of students receiving engineering degrees were women. This is certainly the first time in Harvey Mudd’s history that we’ve had a class with more women majoring in engineering than men; as far as we know it’s the first time for any co-ed U.S. college.

Nationally, only 18.8% of engineering majors are women, and women comprise only 12% of working engineers. The National Science Foundation categorizes engineering as one of two STEM fields with “low participation” from women; computer science is the other with a national average of 13% female undergrad CS majors.

So what can colleges and universities do to engage more women in engineering?

Maria Klawe: What has your department done to get more women interested in engineering?

Liz Orwin: I think three factors are key in our success: hands-on classes that incorporate project-based learning, a high percentage of female faculty, and active mentoring. Our engineering program starts with a yearlong project-based, experiential introductory class called E4: Intro to Engineering Design. Students work in small teams to apply techniques for solving design problems. This setting allows their diverse talents to emerge, and it has a great impact on building confidence in their abilities, particularly for the women.

Klawe: Can you give me some examples of project-based experiences that have been impactful for women?

Nancy Lape: One of the most popular electives across the college is a first-year engineering lab called E11: Autonomous Vehicles. Students build small robotic cars using electronics and 3D printing, and then compete in a final “capture the flag” competition. The course is a hands-on introduction to mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering, computer science, design, systems, and controls. If you want to see why it appeals to students, just watch this short video of a final competition. The winning team: two female students who had no prior experience with engineering or coding.

Klawe: What kinds of experiences are beneficial to women in upper-level courses?

Orwin: We have an innovative second-year course, E80: Experimental Engineering, in which students work in teams to build small rockets and program them to gather data in flight. They travel to the Mojave Desert to launch their rockets, then analyze and present their data post-flight. E80 exposes students to state-of-the-art technology, connecting the theory they’ve learned to a real, practical and exciting project. The students have ownership of the entire process—it’s a remarkable learning experience for them.

Lape: The real beauty of the program here is how experiential learning is threaded throughout the program, from the first year through the senior year, with different levels of experience. Our faculty has begun incorporating project-based learning in all the theory courses. Our junior-level systems course used to be paper and pencil, with no practical element. Now the course integrates computer simulation and hardware development. You would be hard pressed to find a course that does not have a hands-on component. We’ve found that the earlier we expose students to project-based learning, the better students do in upper-level courses. They can handle complicated theory, and they aren’t intimidated by building and testing and rebuilding—having a project break and working on the next iteration.

Project-based learning has been shown to improve learning outcomes in both men and women, and several recent studies point to further benefits to women. One study demonstrated that women, to a greater extent than men, choose career paths they think will enable them to contribute to society, work with people and help others; the study suggests that project-based learning, which offers these experiences, can increase women’s interest in engineering. Other research has shown that connecting theory with socially relevant applications makes engineering appealing to women. A recent analysis of an engineering alumni survey at Worcester Polytechnic Institute showed that women alumni reported greater professional and personal gains than their male counterparts from project-based learning.

Orwin: Probably the most important thing that we do with the engineering education here is the Clinic Program. In Clinic, teams of juniors and seniors work with industry sponsors to solve real-world technical problems. The students behave as practicing engineers, and it’s more than technical work. They have to learn how to manage a project, how to work in a team, and how to interact with a company as sort of a mini-division of that company.